How to quicken boot on embeded system?

QNX USERS QNX6 - OS
1

When my system boot, I hope it skip over steps below for speed:

  1. “Select partitions?”
  2. “Esc to .altboot”

What Shall I do?

My system is: PC104 intel 486 DX + DiskOnChip + QNX 6.21

2

Don’t use the QNX bootloader, use a standard MBR loader. The ESC to .altboot is the partition level loader and there really isn’t much you can do it about it while keeping the system a standard x86 with a BIOS.

3

Thank you very muuuuuuch.
hmmmmm,
Can I set up the default time for waitting user type"ESC to .altboot"?
Need I write a IPL?

4

No, you can’t setup default time. Yes, you can write an IPL or spatch current loader. I answered to this question about year ago at nntp://inn.qnx.com in qdn.public.qnxrtp.embedded. I don’t have my notes ATM and too lazy to search NG, sorry.

5

Well, I just ran into it :slight_smile:

change the byte with offset 0x72 in OS loader ipl-diskpc2-flop (/dev/hd0t79) from 0x24 to 0x01.
it was:

00000050: C0 74 05 E8  71 01 EB F6  BF 00 06 31  C0 B9 18 00 00000060: F3 AB B8 02  00 99 BF 01  00 31 DB BD  00 08 E8 C8
00000070: 00 B9 24 00  B8 00 01 CD  16 75 12 1E  31 C0 8E D8 00000080: 8B 16 6C 04  3B 16 6C 04  74 FA 1F E2  E7 BE 80 02 00000090: 3C 1B 75 04  81 C6 40 00  8B 4C 30 BD  00 10 31 DB

should be:

00000050: C0 74 05 E8  71 01 EB F6  BF 00 06 31  C0 B9 18 00 
00000060: F3 AB B8 02  00 99 BF 01  00 31 DB BD  00 08 E8 C8 00000070: 00 B9 01 00  B8 00 01 CD  16 75 12 1E  31 C0 8E D8 00000080: 8B 16 6C 04  3B 16 6C 04  74 FA 1F E2  E7 BE 80 02 
00000090: 3C 1B 75 04  81 C6 40 00  8B 4C 30 BD  00 10 31 DB

This worked great! Thanks!
I used this trick on /dev/hd0t79 to eliminate the “Hit Esc” delay.

Does anyone know if the same trick can be used on /dev/hd0 to change the
timeout of the “Boot Partition 1 4 ? 1” message?

Ok, if your primary loader looks like /boot/sys/ipl-diskpc1-flop (highly probable since you see
“Boot Partition” message), you could change the byte with offset 0x68 in partition loader (first
sector of /dev/hd0) from 0x48 to 0x01 (or to 0x90 in order to increase twice of the timeout)

It was:

00000050: 02 CD 18 C6  05 3F 88 7D  02 C6 45 03  08 C6 45 04 
00000060: 00 BE 32 07  E8 91 00 B9  48 00 B4 01  55 51 CD 16 
00000070: 59 5D 75 18  06 BA 40 00  8E C2 26 8B  16 6C 00 26

Should be:

00000050: 02 CD 18 C6  05 3F 88 7D  02 C6 45 03  08 C6 45 04
00000060: 00 BE 32 07  E8 91 00 B9  01 00 B4 01  55 51 CD 16 
00000070: 59 5D 75 18  06 BA 40 00  8E C2 26 8B  16 6C 00 26

If your primary (partition) loader looks like /boot/sys/ipl-diskpc1 (you see the “Press F1-F4 to
select drive or select partition” message), you could change the byte with offset 0x9e from 0x48 to
0x01 (or to 0xd8 in order to increase thrice of the timeout)

It was:

00000080: 75 02 CD 18  4F C6 05 3F  C6 45 01 20  88 7D 02 C6 00000090: 45 03 08 C6  45 04 00 BE  78 07 E8 A8  00 B9 48 00 
000000A0: B4 01 55 51  CD 16 59 5D  75 17 06 BA  40 00 8E C2

Should be:

00000080: 75 02 CD 18  4F C6 05 3F  C6 45 01 20  88 7D 02 C6 
00000090: 45 03 08 C6  45 04 00 BE  78 07 E8 A8  00 B9 01 00 
000000A0: B4 01 55 51  CD 16 59 5D  75 17 06 BA  40 00 8E C2

Think twice before changing MBR (disable warning in BIOS).
Good luck!